Controller finger



July l, 1930. T. E. I ANGEN CONTROLLER FINGER Filed Deo. 27. 1926 g ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

j THOMAS'EQLANGENAFBRooKLYN, NEW YORK, AssIGNoa'ro.WEsrINGHoUsnELnci Other objects Patented July 1, 1930 -,tuiu'risznj STATES PATENT i OFFICE;

Tmc a MANUFAcrURING COMPANY, A coRroBATIoN oF PENNSYLVANIA cc )rmfnoirmnn` FINGER Application nea 'December 27, 192e.` serial No. 157,286;`

This invention relates to contact `iingers primarily designed foruse in controllers.

The object of the invention generally stated,is 'the provision ofy a contact linger that sha-ll be simple and efficient in operation and readily and economically manufactured:

A more specific object 'of the invention 1s to .provide for the mounting of the'contact vmemberof a contact Ifinger so that it maybe i i curved sov that the projection or shaft 14 exe,

setin different positionsto assure properenvgagement with; other contact members.

Another object of this invention is to provide for the mounting of the Contact member ,so that. when one face is Worn, it maybe ad- `j usted to presentan unWorn` vcontact face.

-A further objectof the invention is to facilitate the replacement of the contactmembers vso that When a Contact member is badly worn,

it `may be readily replaced Without the re- 'moval of the otherfvmembers of the contact linger.1 .Y i i of the invention will, in part, be obvious, and in part lwill appear herein- The invention, accordingly, is disclosed in the ,embodiment thereof, shown in the accompanying drawing, and comprises the features Aof construction,combination of element-s. and

p arrangement of parts that will be exemplified inthe structure ,hereinaftery setforth, and the scope of theapplication of Which .Will be ini l dicated in the, claims.

, `For a generalunderstandingrof thenature `and objects ofthe invention, reference should belhad to the vfollwving detailed description, jl taken in.V conjunctionV vWith'theV accompanymg drawing in which;

' Figure 1 is a-yiev/in rside elevation,y of acontact linger constructedin accordanceWith4 thisfinvention. j .Y i l Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the contact fmger, showing the-,relation of the different Y members-and Fig. 3' isa View invertical section along natesg'enerally a contact carrier Whichcomprises a V`member 11, one endof which is shaped to seat on anysuitable base or Arail 12, and arigid member 13. shown, the upper member 13 of the contact carrier 10 is providedwith a cylindricalprojection 14 which simulatesa shaft- In this particular construction, the member y13 isattached to the memberll by means of rivets 24, but any other suitable means for connecting these members may be utilized, or they `may Ybe made 1n one piece.

It W1llybe noted that: the member 13 is tends in a horizontal plane. However, it is to be understood that the particular shape of the upper member 13-of the carrier has no bearing `on this invention, and a curved member is illustratedbecause it is a convenient shape for `an,embodiment of the invention suitable for' drum type controllers; f Y As will beobserved, a contact member l5 is Y,mounted Von theA contact carrier 10. This con- .tact member includes a cylindrical headl and a longitudinal flange member 17 extendlocatingthe opening 18 intermediate the ends of 'the flange member 17, When the contactV member 15 is mounted on the shaft18,it will be symmetrical about any plane extending along the axis ofthe shaft 14.

` The contact member 15 is preferablymade froman alloy of copper or some other material which possesses the property of high vconductivity along With capacity of Withstanding Wear.

While in this .embodiment Vof the invention, acontact member having'a cylindrical head is illustratedfitwill be readily understood that contactmembers of other shapes may be provided Which have suitable contacting faces andl Which may b e disposed symmet-V rically on the shaftf14 so .thatpWhen one face of the Contact member is worn, it may be rotated either through4 an angle of. 90 or 180o to present an unWorn contacting face.

As shown, a shunt 19 is provided for bridging the connection between the contact member 15 and contact` carrier 10. The shunt may be of any suitable flexible type and is preferably made of a number of superimposed pieces of copper ribbon, thus providing a laminated member which may be utilized to limit the angular movement of the Contact member 15 on the shaft 1li.

The shunt may be attached to the flange 17 of the Contact member 15 in any suitable manner, and in this particular construction, a clamp 2O is provided. The other end of the shunt is pressed intov engagement with the carrier 10 by means of the screws 21 provided for attaching the carrier to the rail 12.

It will be readily understood that the'shuntV 19 may be utilized for retaining the contact member 15 in position `on the carrier 10. VBy making the shunt 4of the desired length, Aprovision may be made for permitting a longion the shaft 14. Therefore provision is made for permitting the contact member yto be given reciprocatory and oscillatory movements. A certain amount of oscillatory movement is desirable, since it vwill permit the contact member .15 to take different `positions to accommodate itself Lto the surface of any controller drum or the ',like. In Fig. 1,

the contact member is -shown as riding on the lio drum 22. l

Y In order .to permit the contact member to oscillate about a line extending transversely ofthe carrier 10, the lower member 11 vof the carrier .is made from some resilient metal Qsuch as sheet steel. VThe resilient member 11 `may also be used to continually urge the con# tact member toward the drum 22, thereby `assuring a good Contact with the ldrum contact segments, such as 23. K

In the embodiment illustrated, the member f n YContact member havingl an opening therein, at

13 .is electrically connected to the member 11 by means ofa shunt 25. As will be'observed,

`the shunt v25 is similar in construction to the main shunt 19. However, it is pointedgout 5 .that the shunt 25 is not always required'. 4.

Vhen a contact finger of thisjtype has been Ain use for some time,and the'head 176 of the i contact member 15 vhas been Yworn on vone side, it is a siinpleoperation to detach the shunt 19 and rotatef'the contactV member through 18,0o to present an unworn Contact face. W'hen a contact member provided with a cylindrical head .16 is used, itwillbe seenf that a .contact `with the contact segments.23

which extends throughout the length of "thev head 16, may be affected.

From the above, it will be evident that thev inventor has provided a contact finger which possesses long life since the contact member may be .rotated to Vpresent an unworn face when one of the contacting faceshas suffered yfrom wear, and one that may be readily disassembled for the purpose of making,replace!V ments.'

Since certain changes may be made inthe above construction and different embodi? ments of the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative andl not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention: i

1. In a contact finger, in combination, a contact carrier adapted to,- be mounted on a base, a contact member 'mounted on the 'carrier and disposed for rotary movement about the'longitudinal axis of the carrier, and a shunt bridging the junction between the carrier and 'contact member, said shunt being adapted to retain the contact member loosely iii-position on the carrier, thereby to permit movement yof'. the contact member along the Ylongitudinal axis of the carrier. tudinal movement of 4the contact member 15 5 2. In a contact finger, in combination, a

contact carrier, a contact vmember provided.r

with a cylindrical head mounted Von the :car-

lfrier and/disposed for oscillatory movement about the longitudinal vaXisfof the carrieraiid a flexible shunt bridging the junction between the carrier vand the contactfmember, said shunt. 'being detachably connected to the ycontact member and carrier, thereby Eto retain #the contact'mem'ber in positionlon'thecarrier.

Ina contact'finger, in combination, ,a

vided with an opening forreceiving the cylinldricalprojection provided on the carrier-,sand "a flexiblel shunt for connecting the contact member to the carrier, said shuntbeing adaptnf ed to permit a predetermined oscillatory -'movement ofthe contact member onfsaid carrier projection.

4. In a contact lfinger, in combination, a

resilient contact lcarrier provided with fa cyrvli-ndricalprojection adapted forl insertion into the opening ofsaid eontactmember'topresent a sliafft'on whichthe contact'meinbervmay be `rotatably mounted, and a shunt for retaining theco'iitactmember imposition on the carrier, said shunt being adapted to permit relative movement ofthe contact member and carrier.

"5. .'I-n a 'contact finger, lin, combination, a lContact m'embervprovided with a cylindricalE headand a llaterally extending flange formed integral with the head, said iiange having an opening `rformed therein, a carrier providals ediwith a cylindrical end shaped Yfor inser-r tion into the opening provided in said flange,'-

thereby 'to permit the contact member to be rotatably mounted on the carrier, anda shunt for retaining the contact member in position lon the carrier, said V-shuntbeing iiexible to per-r mit movement Vof -the contact member relai tive-to the carrier. Y

6. Ina contact finger,in conibination,a resilientcontact lcarrier provided 'withv a cylindrical end, a contact member having an-open-- ing therein rotatably'mountedon the cylin-r` drical end of said carrier, said contact member being provided With a cylindrical head to permit the making of contactwithany member along a straight line, and a shunt for retaining the Contact member in position on the contact carrier, said shunt being flexible to permit the contact member to be set in dif-` ferent positions relative to the carrier.

7. In a contact finger,1n combination, a

contact carrier provided With a cylindrical end, a Contact member havingan opening for receiving the cylindrical end of the carrier,

thereby to permit the contact member to be Y rotatably mounted on the carrier, said contact member being symmetrical about the end of the carrier, whereby it may be positioned to present different contacting faces, anda shunt for retaining the contact member in p'osition on the carrier, said shunt being flexible, thereby to permit the setting ofthe contact member in diilerent positions. l

8. In a contact iin'ger, in combination, a contact carrier, the end of which isshaped to simulate a shaft, and a Contact member provided With a cylindrical head, and a flange extending laterally from the head, said flange being provided with an opening adapted to receive the shaft whereby the contact member may be rotatably mounted thereby'to permit the Contact member to be set in different positions to present more than one contact face to a member disposed to move in a, predetermined path.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed myV name this 17th day of December,

p THOMAS E. LANGEN. 

